The memories of Aimee Lords: A lone victor
by KatieCarla
Summary: Details specific events of Aimee Lords life. From her reaping into the games - To her life working for the president.
1. Chapter 1

You can never escape the past.

Aimee walked quickly through the streets of District 12. She had a clear destination in mind. She knew she shouldn't be here, she knew the risk she was taking. But she had to do it, she just had to do this. There was a slight wind and it whispered through her long brown hair, whipping it up slightly. She had her head down, as she always did when she was here. She knew they talked, she heard them. They had seen her games, they knew what she had done in the past. As much it pained her to admit it, she simply could not feel any hate towards them. They knew who she was, what she had done all those years before.

She reached a small house. She hesitated, needing to take a deep breath. Her hand shook slightly as she pulled a small key out of her pocket. She slipped it into the key hole, her hand resting there once more in hesitation. It took a few moments for her to slowly turn it. With a click, the door opened just a crack, and she could see a sliver of darkness. With one final deep breath, she pushed it open with the palm of her hand. Taking the key out of the lock, she entered and closed it begin her. She stood in the darkness, though she knew the layout of the building. She had lived in this house from when her parents had died, up until she had been reaped into the games.

She moved forwards through the darkness, picturing the furniture in her head. To the left she knew was a small side table, to the right the stairs leading up. After half a dozen short steps, she reached what she knew was the kitchen door. Her hand went down to the door knob and she turned it. It swung open on it's on, and at last light hit her, and after the darkness of the hallway, she had to blink several times.

Her eyes traveled over the small, neat kitchen. She grimaced slightly when she saw it was the same way she had left it, many years before. Her eyes sought out what she needed. On top of a cabinet sat a large tin box. Inside was what she needed. She took another deep, shaky breath and moved forwards, lifting her hands up to grip onto it. She lowered it, and turned back to the table that sat in the centre of the room. She went to it, setting the box on top.

It was now that the doubt almost took over. now when she had the most trouble making her arms move. She stood for maybe 5 minutes, she didn't know. It could just as easily have been a few seconds, but she wasn't keeping time. Today, for this, she didn't need to. She had made sure of that. She lifted the top off, needed to use some force as the top had rusted to the tin slightly. Finally however, it slid off. She still did not sit down at the single chair. It was a luxury she did not deserve, and she knew it full well.

She lifted some pictures out, spreading them across the table. In one, she was stood with her twin. They were roughly the same height. She smiled softly at this one, another was of her, her twin, their older brother, their younger and his twin, her only sister. Their parents were stood behind them, it was a proper family shot. They looked happy. She sighed, and a tear came to her eye as she thought back to that time. She had often wondered how different her life could have been if only her parents had never died.

Next out of the box came a silver whistle. It had been her fathers. She softly ran her fingers over it, smiling softly as she did so. She could almost smell him. Her hands reached into the box, and what came next was the one she had come to see. It was a picture of her grandmother, but it had appeared to change since she had last seen it. Her grand mother had been smiling, of that she was pretty sure. Now, a stern, angry looking women was in the picture. The look was one of hate, she dropped the picture, looking around. She could hear her, whispering in her ear that she could never escape the past.


	2. Chapter 2: The reaping

Aimee walked forward, her head bowed down like normal. She held out her finger out to the capitol official, having said her name. Once this was done, she moved to the side, heading the now familiar path to what she thought as of the holding pen. It was another reaping, the time of year when 2 would leave them, never to return. For her district never won. 12 was the district of losers. In more ways then the games, but she of course didn't know this.

She stood, still as a statue with her peers. She was an outcast, and had no one to stand with, while they waited to see who would be the one to go. She looked at the screen, as she knew she was expected to. Her face was set, showing no emotion. Inside, she could feel a bubble of fear. She didn't know where it come from, she normally simply stood, and watched. But this year, something felt different.

After what felt like a dozen years, the women announced it was time. Time to draw the unlucky names. Time for the condeemed boy and girl to walk from among them and into their fate. For this what they were, what chance did a tribute from 12 really stand? They knew nothing of fighting to the death, nothing of how to survive in there.

There was silence in the square, mothers looked on with fear in their eyes and hearts, fathers stood with faces as emotionless as Aimees. A square of paper was pulled out and the women smiled. She said, rather too sweetly in Aimees opinion, "Aimee Lords".

Aimee stared at the women, before bowing her head and walking forwards. Her face was as set as before, but inside her heart was beating fast. She knew she had it in her, to kill that is. But to do so in front of so many people? With the whole of Panem watching.

She closed her eyes for a moment as she walked, knowing she had no one to say goodbye to. Maybe her going was a good thing. At least this way, no one had to see their daughter, their sister, their niece, slaughtered for what was a truly messed up and senseless, so called game.


	3. Chapter 3: Time to Train

Aimee walked into the training room. It was time to prove herself, away from the others. She knew she wasn't the strongest, she wasn't the most skilled. Not by a long shot. But she'd been practicing hard. She had one skill she hadn't yet shown, one that she'd kept a secret. Her mentor had said this would be the best way to go, and she didn't have anyone else she could to help her through. The parade had been and gone in a flash, and then, then there was only the training. Next would be the games, and it was something she wasn't looking forward to. She had no idea how to even get through the blood bath, let alone come out the winner.

She stopped in front of the gamemakers and looked up to them.

"Aimee Lords." She said in a strong voice, one that let them know she was here, and they would watch and pay attention. Although inside she was a mess, to the outside world she knew she had to be seen as strong, or she wouldn't last 2 seconds in there.

They looked at her, and the head gamemaker merely nodded at her, letting her know she should begin. The hall was silent. Her breathing was all that Aimee could hear. She turned, and headed towards the throwing knives. When she was younger, she had taken to throwing knives at trees for entertainment. She'd known she had needed some way to protect herself, and it was something she found quite easy.

She lifted one up, holding it lightly in her hands. She stood for a few seconds, then turned sharply to the left and threw it at a dummy. She didn't wait to see if had hit, but instead withdrew another, whilst turning to the right. She threw it quickly at a training ball, which she knew was light and was covered in material. For her 3rd and final knife she turned back to the center and threw it as hard as she could at a target, normally used for bow and arrows. This time, she watched as it soured straight into the bulls eye.

With that, she looked up at the gamekeepers, not even bothering to check the 1st 2 knives and if they'd hit their mark. She had done what she had done, she couldn't do any more now. She nodded at them. "Thank you." She said loudly, before turning and walking straight out.


	4. Chapter 4: Keep running

She was running, her head was twisting from side to side, her eyes wide in fear. She was in the arena, and they were closing in on her. She could hear them coming, she could feel their foot steps as if they running over her, not the ground. Her breath was quick, a faint mist appearing out of infront of her mouth each time she breathed out. It was cold here, so cold it went down to her very bones.  
She senses them behind her, and she turned to meet them head on. Weaponless, she knew it was the end. She wouldn't make it out of the arena. Her eyes meet those of the district 2 male, she didn't know his name. She had not seen it important to learn, she had known from the start she would not make it out alive. She felt, rather then saw his sword sink into chest, and her eyes closed, slumping to the floor, she heard a canon sound, though she knew she shouldn't have.

Aimee woke with a cold sweat on her, it was the same dream as always, the one that haunted her in the cold, dark, restless nights. She was alone in her apartment in the capitol. Her eyes were open now, though she was not thinking of her task, she was thinking of the dream. She had won her games, years before. But she suffered those same dreams, it was always the same, and always the final tribute to have died in her games that dealt her own final blow.  
It was survivors guilt. She could not help it, it was simply something that plagued her and always had. Her head turned towards the window and she saw the first light of dawn appearing in the sky. She sighed deeply and pushed herself up off the bed. It was time to move, time to go out to District 4 and lead the capitol soldiers in taking back the district from several trouble makers. The president trusted her, it was why, after impressing him in the games, she had spent her life working for him. Or so it seemed.  
To the outside world, she was a trusted adviser and soldier of the president. But to a select few, she was one of the heads of the rebellion threatening to break loose.  
She sighed deeply and walked over to her wadrobe, pulling out her 'fighting' clothes. They were simple, easy to run and move in. She would shower first and then put them on, ready to move forward. Ready to prove herself to the president once more. Ready to place herself into an even better position to bring him down. She knew the risk, but death didn't scare her. The past was her demon, and that was why she carried on running. So it couldn't catch her.


	5. Chapter 5: No where to run - Part 1

Aimee stood by the sea, looking out over the flat, silent, peaceful body of water that stretched across the horizon. She was stood on the top of a steep cliff, that slopped down to the water, rocks could be seen jutting out of its surface. Her thoughts were calm. It had been a long few months, hidden away in District 4, trying to contain the rebellion that was threatening to break free there. So far, she had managed to do just that.  
The president was of course very happy with her work. He always had been. For her, having to harm others, merely for fighting for their freedom, sickened her. They may not know it, but she was working for their cause, but they hated her. She was commonly seen as the enemy, not only in this district, but in the others she had visited over the course of her career in the capitol. She wondered what side she would pick, when the time came. She could tell from the look in the presidents eye that he had begun to suspect something. She sighed deeply and looked to the left, where the group of soldiers that were the most trusted, and skilled that worked below her. They, of course, were the president's men through and through.

They were resting, after a long day of fighting with a group of rebels a few hundred meters away to Aimees right. They had won of course. Aimee had left the bodies of the dead rebels were they had fallen, she did not see the need to hurt their families any more by denying them the right to see to their dead loved ones how they saw fit. She didn't know how it come to this, fighting against other human beings. But sadly, it become apart of her daily life. This… War, was destroying all of her values, all of her wants for the world she lived in. Her job was beginning to take its toll on her, and sometimes, she truly didn't know which side it was she was fighting for.  
She walked calmly over to the group of soldiers. She smiled slightly and they looked at her in confusion. She rarely, if ever, let emotion cross her features. Well, there was always a 1st time for everything, wasn't there?  
"Ok lads, time to move out." She said, for she was the only female in the group. At that moment, a shot rang through the air and she watched as one of the men slumped to the floor. She looked around, eyes wide. An ambush, that was what came to mind. But no, no one had known they were here. They had killed all the rebels, so who could it be? The only person that she had told of their where abouts had been the president.  
A second shot hit the ground infront of her, and she shook herself out of her thoughts. She threw herself to the left, rolling. She stood once more, taking a pistol out of her belt she looked to where the shots seemed to be coming from. She could see 2 figures, and one looked strangely familiar. She shook her head and concentrated on survival as more shots rang out. She looked to her right, then to her left, but there was no cover… There was simply no way out.


End file.
